Sports

All My Rowdy Friends Play Cornhole

Published

2 years ago

August 16, 2022

Arlinda Smith Broady

Alan Dickherber, Joe Benincasa, Jackie Adams, Karen Wilkins, Bruce Kolbinsky (L-R) with branded board

It may be debatable how much of a sport cornhole is, but you can play with a beer in one hand – how bad can that be?

Hanging out with friends and co-workers after a long day can involve more than eating and drinking. With the CornholeATL Cornhole League hosting games four times a year at Peachtree Corners Town Center, you can add tossing bean bags at a small hole to the mix.

Alan Dickherber, Joe Benincasa, Chad Schloerke, Jackie Adams, David and Findley the Mascot Dog!

The state’s largest and fastest-growing cornhole league is back for another season of fun. CornholeATL’s Fall League starts in August and, as always, there are four different divisions of play to accommodate all skill levels.

Make friends and have fun

Jeff Brawand, Owner of CornholeATL, moved to metro Atlanta from Cincinnati, Ohio in 2007 to work for Delta Airlines. “Growing up in Ohio, cornhole is everywhere,” he said. “When I moved to Atlanta, I was looking for a way to meet people.”

He tried kickball games and soccer and things like that, but as he got older, he was looking for an outlet where he wouldn’t get hurt or seriously injured. “I got to the point where I said to myself, ‘I don’t need to be sliding anymore. I’m just trying to meet new people and meet new friends.’ And so, I started the cornhole league, CornholeATL, in 2011,” he said.

The league started in Virginia Highlands in a public park. A few years later, Brawand said he “pivoted to playing at bars, mixed use developments and open green spaces.”

He likes the fact that players are surrounded by different sorts of restaurants at Town Center and there’s plenty of space to spread out and have fun. “It’s a lot easier than having to play in a public park where people are bringing out coolers,” Brawand said. “It’s easier to play at a venue where people could just buy drinks, buy food and kind of spend their money on site.”

One of the first mixed-use developments where CornholeATL set was Avalon in Alpharetta. “They love it because we’re bringing people on a night where it might not be as busy,” noted Brawand. “But now people are coming out playing cornhole. They’re grabbing dinner with their friends beforehand; they’re grabbing drinks during and after the games. So it kind of just built up the area a little bit more.”

The league came to Peachtree Corners about three years ago, when teams started forming outside the Perimeter. “It’s been really successful outside the city,” Brawand said. “There’s a lot of stuff to do already [in Atlanta] and so it does great here because people might not have as much to do. And when they get home, they probably don’t want to have to go downtown. They want to be able to stay in their area.”

Karen Wilkins and Amy Schlosser – Girl Power showing team name “Shut up and Throw”

When North American Properties General Manager Tim Perry presented his company’s vison for The Forum, events like the cornhole league were what he said the property will endorse. Brawand stressed that working with the Town Center staff has been a great experience and the seasons have been quite successful.

How it works

Each season of CornholeATL lasts seven weeks and there are four cornhole seasons a year. “We do it spring, summer, fall and winter,” Brawand said. “The first six weeks are the regular season, and the last week – week seven — is the playoffs for that location.”

Each league has four divisions: beginner, intermediate, intermediate-plus and advanced. That way people with similar skill levels compete against each other. It would be kind of like having Charles Barkley or Michael Jordan playing pick-up basketball.

“You basically can go to our website and kind of see the skill level you would be best suited,” Brawand said. “If you’re barely hitting a board, then you’re probably a beginner. But if you’re getting all four in the hole or on the board, then you’re probably advanced.”

At the end of the day, the goal is to have fun, said Brawand. “That’s our focus. And that’s why we call it a cornhole league as opposed to a tournament. The word tournament kind of has a negative vibe that might be a little bit more competitive.

“So it’s a league; it’s a social league. The beginners will only play beginners all season long, even when it comes to the playoffs. Beginners only play the beginners in their division in the playoffs so you’re never playing up or down, which makes it a little bit more approachable.”

Jackie Adams, Senior Director of Operations of New Franchise Development at Floor Coverings International has been on a CornholeATL team at Peachtree Corners Town Center since the league came there. “It’s super chill and a good way to relax and unwind with friends after work,” she said.

In an era when not as many companies sponsor bowling or softball, the relatively small cost to pay for employees to form a cornhole team is quite attractive. “The company reimburses us for our registration, and we have t-shirts made every season,” said Adams. “And since the teams are so small, we always have enough people to play.”

Within the six weeks of regular play, a team needs at least two people to be present to play or the game will be forfeited, Brawand explained. After two forfeitures, the team is out of the league. “We don’t want to waste people’s time,” he said. “It’s a commitment, but a small one.”

Championship play

After a winner is declared for each division within a league, the winning teams move on to the state championship to play the winners of the other leagues. Right now, there are 45 leagues in the state from as far east as Athens, as far west as Carterville, as far south as Fayetteville and as far north as the outlets near Cumming.

The farthest leagues could be a couple of hours’ drive from Atlanta, so the championship games are rotated around the area, although they’re usually held in the city.

“We just did the spring tournament in Woodstock, and the summer one will be in Acworth,” said Brawand. Last year one of the championships was held in Peachtree Corners.

“It’s a blast. Everyone comes out from around the whole state,” he continued. “There are usually around 350 people playing and they all bring some spectators because it’s a big event with big prizes and big trophies.”

Some of the coveted prizes have been tailgating chairs that say “Champions” on the back, which can be pretty cool when you’re hanging out at a Bulldogs or Falcons game.

“We pride ourselves on being a social league and having those divisions,” said Brawand. “It’s more of a social thing than a sport. You come out and have a good time. And you can toss the bean bag with one hand while you have your choice of beverage in the other.”

Sign up now to play cornhole this fall

Registration for the CornholeATL Fall League is open until August 22. Sign up at cornholeatl.leaguelab.com/league/52593/detail. For more info, email info@cornholeatl.com.

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Arlinda Smith Broady

Arlinda Smith Broady is part of the Boomerang Generation of Blacks that moved back to the South after their ancestors moved North. With approximately three decades of journalism experience (she doesn't look it), she's worked in tiny, minority-based newsrooms to major metropolitans. At every endeavor she brings professionalism, passion, pluck, and the desire to spread the news to the people.

Doing Good

Pickle for Pups Combines Pickleball, Parties and Fun for a Worthy Cause

Published

2 months ago

October 1, 2024

Shawne Taylor

The two-day event aims to raise funds for local dog rescue

Show off your pickleball skills, cheer on the players, meet fellow dog lovers and enjoy the beautiful facility and courts at Life Time Health & Fitness Center in Peachtree Corners at the second annual Pickle for Pups fundraising weekend.

large outdoor facility with tennis and pickleball courts — Life Time pickleball courts, courtesy of Pickle for Pups

Whether you’re a tournament-level player or a pickleball beginner, this two-day event offers fun for everyone. With exciting games, drills and open play; a Friday night party; Saturday team tournament; and an online raffle, it’s a great way to meet and mingle with other pickleball enthusiasts while supporting the work done by BarkVille Dog Rescue.

Weekend events

The festivities kick off on Friday, November 15 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. with an evening of food, drinks, live music and pickleball. The Life Time pros will offer clinics and drills, and other courts will be available for open play. Some of the rescue’s adorable, adoptable dogs will even be onsite for the fun.

dog on a leash wearing a halo — photo courtesy of Pickle for Pups

Saturday, November 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. will feature the team tournament with two divisions: 3.0/3.5 and 4.0/4.5. Matches will include one men’s line, one women’s line and two mixed lines. The top four teams in each level will advance to the medal round, and medals for the top three teams in each division will be awarded.

Participants can form their own team or ask to be placed on a team at their level.

Team tournament players will receive a boxed lunch, and food will also be available for purchase at the club restaurant.

In addition to tournament play, beginners clinics and drills will be offered from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m., and open play will be available for those who can’t commit to the full afternoon but still want to have some pickleball fun.

There will be nine courts available for Friday night and 12 courts for Saturday. All courts are permanent pickleball courts and indoor courts are also available, so the event will be held rain or shine.

Ticket options

The Drinks & Dinks pass includes entrance to the Friday evening party (complete with food, drink, live music and pickleball), as well as entry on Saturday for open play, clinics and drills. Cost: $50.

The Top Dog “Team Up for Rescue” tournament pass is for people playing in the team tournament and includes registration for all of the action on Saturday as well as the Friday night party and an event swag bag. Cost: $75.

Both ticket options allow you to come both days or just one day.

large outdoor pickleball court facility — photo courtesy of Pickle for Pups

The raffle

Pickle for Pups is also holding a raffle featuring amazing prizes, including an all-inclusive trip for two to the Caribbean, a Zane Navratil ProXR paddle and virtual lesson, gift cards to local restaurants and more.

New prizes will be added weekly leading up to the event. Raffle tickets can be purchased online through November 16. The drawing will be held that day at 3:00 p.m.

Ten raffle entries are $25; 140 entries can be purchased for $200. Other entry packages are available for $50 and $100 as well.

The details

Event dates: November 15-16

Location: Life Time Health Club & Fitness Center at 6350 Courtside Dr. NW, Peachtree Corners, GA

For more information or to make a donation, purchase event tickets or buy raffle entries, visit go.rallyup.com/pickleforpups2024.

For more about BarkVille Dog Rescue, visit barkvilledogrescue.org.

Information about Life Time in Peachtree Corners can be found at lifetime.life/locations/ga/peachtree-corners.

Community

Olympian Jasmine Jones Visits Her Local Alma Mater

Published

2 months ago

September 25, 2024

Shawne Taylor

Olympic athlete standing with a school mascot

Olympian Jasmine Jones, a standout alumna of Greater Atlanta Christian School (Class of 2020), returned to her alma mater on September 12 to speak to and inspire the next generation of students there.

GAC staff interviewed Jones and also took questions from the students during a Q&A session that included every grade level.

Female Olympic athlete being interviewed onstage — photo courtesy of Greater Atlanta Christian School

As a member of the U.S. Olympic team and a 12-time Georgia state individual champion during her time at GAC, Jasmine’s visit was a homecoming filled with motivation and reflection. She spoke passionately to the students about the importance of perseverance, goal-setting, and embracing challenges, drawing from her journey from GAC to the University of Southern California and the global stage of the Olympics.

Jones qualified for the Paris Olympics on June 30 and made the U.S. team in women’s 400m hurdles after placing third. She went on to place fourth in the women’s 400m hurdles final at the Paris games.

Female Olympian meeting members of the audience in a school auditorium — photo courtesy of Greater Atlanta Christian School

Students and staff at GAC cheered Jones on during the Olympics. And they cheered her again as she took to the school’s stage to address the audience. Before and after the event, Jones posed for photos, gave high-fives and took time connect with some of GAC’s enthusiastic students and faculty.

Female Olympian meeting students at her alma mater — photo courtesy of Greater Atlanta Christian School

Her words — and her accomplishments — left a powerful impression on the crowd, reminding everyone of the heights that can be achieved with dedication and faith.

For more about GACS, visit greateratlantachristian.org.

Sports

A Record-Breaking Year for Wesleyan Athletics

Published

6 months ago

June 3, 2024

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

Wesleyan is known for its faith-based academic excellence, but maybe you didn’t know that the school’s athletic prowess is just as impressive.

Girls Cross Country // Images courtesy of Wesleyan

Wesleyan School is known for its faith-based academic excellence, but maybe you didn’t know that the school’s athletic achievements are just as impressive. This year alone, Wesleyan has amassed an astounding nine state championships.

“The Wesleyan School athletic program has been incredibly blessed to enjoy a significant amount of success during the 2023-2024 school year. Winning nine state championships is a credit to our student-athletes, coaches, and parents,” said Chris Cleveland, head of school and assistant coach for the varsity boys basketball team.

Nine state championship titles are the most Wesleyan has ever won in a single school year. But the school’s athletic department is focused on far more besides winning.

“While winning a state championship is a substantial accomplishment that is worthy of celebration, it is not the sole measure by which we measure the success of a season. It is our greatest desire and prayer that the lives of our students will be transformed due to the investment by our coaches and through the relationships they build with their teammates,” added Cleveland.

After the girls and boys lacrosse teams won their state titles earlier this year, Wesleyan now has a state championship in every sport they field.

“We are so proud of our student-athletes, coaches, and our entire athletics program. Regardless of the number of state championships in a given year, our goal is to develop young men and young women of character. When recognition like state titles accompanies that objective, it certainly is a lot of fun and a great honor for our entire community,” commented Lacy Gilbert, director of athletics.

Congratulations to all Wesleyan student-athletes, coaches and faculty for this incredible accomplishment.

List of team titles:

Girls Softball
Girls Cross Country
Boys Swim & Dive
Girls Swim & Dive
Girls Lacrosse
Boys Lacrosse
Girls Tennis
Girls Track & Field
Boys Golf

List of individual titles:

Weezie Moore – Girls Cross Country
Abbey Suits – Dive
Hattie Wasmuth – Swim: 200 Medley
Max Perry – Swim: 50 Free
Ryan Cowart, Jace Neeb, JJ Neeb and Max Perry – Swim: 200 Free Relay
Ansley Chapman, MC Harrison, Vivian Hosier and Hattie Wasmuth – Swim: 200 free relay
Ryan Cowart, JJ Neeb, Max Perry and Connor Worgo – Swim: 400 free relay
Ansley Chapman, Lily Corbitt, Vivian Hosier and Hattie Wasmuth – Swim: 400 free relay
Weezie Moore – Track & Field: 3,200 meters
Kyra Brubaker, Ansley Voss, Eva Murphy and Julie Anne Bush – Track & Field: 4 x 800-meter relay
Anne McSweeney – Track & Field: 800 meters
Ben Vondrak – Track & Field: Wheelchair 800 meters and 200 meters